The Nicholberry Dispatch - by Kerry Nichols
Welcome to the Nicholberry Dispatch!
BOOK NEWS
Big news today! But a little background first. When we first started looking at potential events, my publisher suggested that I consider “conversation partners.” Like so many things on this publishing journey, this was an unfamiliar concept to me. But now that you’ve read it here, you’ll see it everywhere. And you’ll see it when we announce the May 2nd event at Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica: “Kerry Nichols in conversation with W. Bruce Cameron.” I’m so excited!
For those of you who don’t immediately recognize his name, Bruce is a #1 New York times and #1 USA Today bestselling author, columnist, and screenwriter (most famous for A Dog’s Purpose, which spent 63 weeks on the NYT bestseller list). I’m so honored that he is going to join me in conversation about Puppy Brain. Simply cannot wait.
SOMETHING TO LEARN
Inside Hans Zimmer’s Creative Process
I use a vast array of music on my Instagram videos to convey a certain emotion with each post. Hans Zimmer is one of my favorites (especially in stories), so when I saw this odyssey into how he creates otherworldly scores like Dune, I had to listen (and if you aren’t familiar with his name, his prolific body of work includes scores for Interstellar, Inception, and the Lion King).
Oh my. I had absolutely no idea how complicated the process is — for example, before he wrote a single note for Dune, he had eight pedal steel guitarists assemble together and record as many sounds as possible for use later. As Hans explains, “I’m gathering ammunition.” Now imagine gathering this sonic ammunition for each note on each instrument at varying lengths and tones. It’s a fascinating listen - enjoy!
SOMETHING TO READ
Well, you’re in for a treat, as I invited my friend Juliana DeWillems to appear here with a “guest column.” Juliana is a certified behavior consultant and founder of JW Dog Training. This short, insightful article gives you a peek into the kind of content you’ll find from her over on Instagram - she is an incredible teacher and an even more incredible human. Here you go:
Our dogs are our best friends, and I know I am constantly looking for ways to make my dog’s life as good as possible. One aspect of our dogs’ lives that can dramatically improve their time with us is something called agency. To have agency means to have control and choice over what you do, how you interact with your environment, and how you access certain outcomes.
Agency requires at least two desirable options to choose from. For example, I have agency to choose where I sit when I have my morning coffee. Sometimes I pick the sofa, sometimes I pick the kitchen table. What you might not realize is that the ability to make this small decision, and many others throughout our day, is actually hugely important to our wellbeing. The same goes for our dogs. By design, we make most of the decisions in our dogs’ lives, including when and what they eat, when and where they walk, what toys or treats they get, the list goes on… If we’re not careful, our dogs can be left with almost no control over their own lives.
Letting our dogs make choices when safely possible provides them with agency, giving them a sense of control over their life. From letting your dog pick the walking route, to letting them choose where to rest, to letting them opt into training, honoring your dog’s autonomy and giving them agency is one of the best ways to improve their overall quality of life. To read more about agency, check out this article from Pet Harmony Training.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.” - Anonymous
SOMETHING TO LOVE
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